Artful Expressions

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Contributed By: Linda Mazur

Artwork is often thought of as part of the finishing touches of your décor. However, if you have dramatic or large scale pieces of art, are they to be considered the finishing touches or the subject of inspiration within the space? Many would feel that great artwork should stand alone and really have nothing to do with the finished décor of your space. However, when working with clients that have an impressive art collection, I often find that artwork always will have a greater impact and look better within the space when the décor supports the pieces in questions.

So the question remains how to design a space to highlight your art collection. One of the first and easiest ways to coordinate your artwork within your living spaces is a draw on color. This is not about having your art “match” your furniture, but rather developing a color palette throughout the design of room will help enhance your artwork. This could be a simple repetition of some of the colors found within the canvas, which will help to strengthen the visual impact of your piece of art. A coordination and balance of certain colors within your décor will draw you in to the room and allow the intensity of the artwork to truly be felt.

If you consider the artwork in the above image, the small repetition of the earthy ocher and muted blue was just enough to enhance this awesome canvas that is full of bold, dominant colors; truly making it stand out in the space. The repetition of lines is also another great way to enhance and coordinate your artwork. You'll notice, the adjacent chair not only supports the color of the canvas, but also provides a subtle repetition of the brushstrokes within the canvas; therefore complementing the artwork as opposed to fighting with it.

Sometimes the design of a room needs to be subtle in order to truly enhance the artwork within. Exercising a bit of restraint in your décor can definitely allow for the artwork to be the star of your room. In this next image, we had a pair of large, gorgeous abstracts with bold colors and a beautiful, yet intense metallic sheen. We designed the space to be calm, understated and monochromatic in order to support these canvases. The fabrics are a play on texture which echoes the texture you see in the artwork. The addition of a few cushions with a soft metallic sheen and the simple tray was just enough to tie the artwork in to the space, but without creating any distractions.

Lighting is also an important factor when working with expressive art. You can easily highlight your artwork with strategically placed lighting that will accent your art and immediately draw your eye to it when you enter a room. When considering lighting in the design of your space it is best to have a proper lighting plan developed in order to highlight your artwork.

As you can see, artwork does not need to be the last pieces of the puzzle when designing or decorating your new space. As a matter of fact, it can be the inspiration. When working with impactful or large scaled pieces of art, put some thought in to how you’d like to display your wall art and make the design or décor of your space compliment these wonderful pieces, instead of just making the artwork fit.

Linda Mazur is the Principal Designer of Linda Mazur Design Group

Linda Mazur is a nationally-publicized designer and principal of Linda Mazur Design Group. Backed by almost two decades of experience, this in demand, multi-disciplinary design firm is known for creating relaxed stylish spaces and full-scale design builds. @LindaMazurGroup